Why We’re Building a Farmhouse

What do you think of when you hear the word “Farmhouse”? I think of a white home on a farm with a garden, a clothesline and animals. I think of families gathering in a large kitchen or your neighbor coming over for coffee and a piece of pie. I think of sitting on the front porch shelling beans from the garden and listening to music in the evening. I think of a much simpler lifestyle.

Back in the day, American farmhouses had a straightforward construction designed to function amidst a working farm in a rural setting. They had a simple rectangular floor plan, usually built with local materials, and included a dominant centrally-located fireplace for cooking and heating. (Source: Wikipedia)

I think of going out to my cousin Mary and Bruno’s farm when I was a little girl. They had cows, chickens and the prettiest farmhouse. We had all of our family reunions there. I remember sitting on their front porch just catching up with my cousins. Come one, we have a lot of cousins in West Virginia! 😉

*The above were some inspirations found on Pinterest and Instagram.

We chose to purchase our 10 acres back in 2014 because we wanted to raise cows/chickens, have a bigger garden, allow our dogs to run-in wide-open spaces, to have more property and basically live a more simple life. We also wanted a farmhouse, but more of a custom one.

Is the Farmhouse movement just a fad or is it here to stay? We didn’t decide to build a farmhouse so we could follow the new craze. We actually designed our plans according to how it would fit our family. Our kids are 19 and 21 now, so this is our third home my husband and I have built. We wanted a new home that was more wide open so we could all fit in the kitchen and hang out. We wanted to be able to sit on our front porch in the evenings and talk about our day. We also wanted the farmhouse big and functional enough for our next stage in life. Married kids with children LOL, but not right now.

*A few vintage finds that will be going into our new farmhouse.

In our new farmhouse we’re building, our front porch is big enough to hold a swing at one end and look like Cracker Barrel if we wanted to add that many rocking chairs LOL.

We wanted a house with simple clean lines. A metal roof was a must. To sit and listen to the rain is just so peaceful. I actually want to cook inside my fireplace in the house. I have an old black stove that I would love to turn into a working one. Maybe do some outdoor cooking on it.

Our taste is more Colonial/Primitive Farmhouse. We wanted a new home just because it’s hard to find property with old farmhouses on them that are in good condition. We also wanted to custom design it. We pulled the permit as owner-builder so we could take our time and give those extra personal touches.

The inside is going to have pops of vintage all over it. We want it to look like an old farmhouse. I’ve also been able to find some really cool vintage looking items online. When you come over, we want it to feel “like home should feel like” and help our guests reflect on yesteryear.

Our new farmhouse should be complete in just a few months. The exterior is nothing fancy. We’re very simple and the appearance of our new home reflects that in the way we designed it. We are using board and batten and stone on the chimney and skirting, but that’s the extent of our fanciness! Here’s to front porch sittin’ and reminiscing of the days gone by!

Are you building a new farmhouse? Or, are you into the farmhouse style? I’d love to hear from you!

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30 thoughts on “Why We’re Building a Farmhouse”

Oh my gosh! Your farmhouse is gorgeous!! It makes me wish we could buy our farmhouse today! I can’t wait to be on acerage with exactly as you explained it. A little white house with an adorable front porch and lots of room for garden, animals and children to roam wild and free❤️🥰

I absolutely love this! Half of me would love to live on a farmhouse and have chickens and cows. But the other half of me wants to live in the city and be able to walk to museums and restaurants! Don’t think I’ll ever be able to combine those two dreams! Haha!

Beautiful plan and beautiful vision! We built our farmhouse 3 years ago, but at the last minutes changed it to more of a colonial style with traditional moldings, 9 over 9 windows, and a hipped roof. I was worried about the trendiness of the farmhouse look. But now I wish I had stuck with our plan. On the right property like yours, it is timeless.

the idea of building a farmhouse sounds heavenly. Growing up in a third world village, I have taken everything for granted. When depression hit me and couldn’t decide where to go, I found myself in Germany and wishing our simple life in the village. I have the world to see and few years from now, I will be back to our little farmhouse.

[…] A Farmhouse to me is the memory of my grandmother’s home. White home with a big front porch where we all used to gather. I remember simple furniture, shaker panel doors, a big table and pretty lights. I myself am decorating our new “old” farmhouse with vintage décor and lighting. I want our home to feel like it’s been here a while and to have that old-fashioned feeling. Why We’re Building a Farmhouse […]